MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Wider use of the yuan was observed in 2023 across all key balance sheet items of Russian banks - deposits, loans and securities, the Central Bank said in its financial market risks review.

In 2023, deposits in the yuan surged twofold from $34.2 bln to $68.7 bln in the US dollar equivalent. The increase in yuan-denominated loans was observed in parallel, with the rise by 3.6 times from $12.7 bln to $46.1 bln in the dollar equivalent.

The yuan-denominated bonds held by banks increased from $7.6 bln to $8.3 bln in the dollar equivalent. At the same time, the total amount of yuan bonds in the Russian securities market surged by 43% to $11.8 bln in the dollar equivalent as of January 1, 2024, the Bank of Russia said.